Nonprofit Talk: Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on Queens small businesses

Tom Grech is president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. Photo courtesy of the Queens Chamber

By Thomas Grech as told to the Eagle

Thomas  Grech is the President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, based in East Elmhurst. The Chamber is the oldest and largest business association in Queens, representing more than 1,150 businesses and more than 100,000 Queens-based employees.

How has your organization navigated the pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly challenging for small businesses. The resources and advocacy we provide for our members is now more vital than ever. We’re still here for the businesses we serve, doing everything we can to make sure they can weather the storm. 

How are you now serving businesses in Queens?

We’ve moved our services to a virtual platform to help out the small businesses, hit hard by the economic downturn. We are making sure our members and all Queens businesses have up-to-date information and are regularly hosting webinars with advice on how to navigate this ordeal from government officials, business leaders, and other experts on the matter. 

We’ve provided technical assistance to businesses on how to apply for federal aid, and since Queens is the most diverse county in America, have done so in multiple languages. We’ve also hosted regular virtual town hall meetings with our elected officials at the city, state and federal levels so they can hear directly from our members about what businesses need, and so they can let us know what resources are available.

How are you balancing the needs of your members with the level of risk to your employees?

Our staff at the Chamber are all working remotely, and harder than ever. We’re staying safe while making the needs of the Queens business community our priority, around the clock, 24/7. 

 What types of support do you most need now?

Right now, it is so important that everyone does what they can to support their local small businesses. If you can, please make an effort to order-in from your favorite neighborhood restaurants. Queens has the best restaurant scene in the world, with over 6,000 different places to dine, and I fear a lot of these will close due to the pandemic. 

We’ve also partnered with a company called EGifter on a project they launched called Operation Main Street, which allows people to buy gift cards from local small businesses during the pandemic. This gives these businesses some much needed cash flow. You can learn more at https://local.egifter.com/.

What programs/services have you had to cut or scale back on?

The Queens Chamber hosts over 300 events each year and have had to cancel all in-person events for the foreseeable future. Most of these events are complimentary and provide opportunities for Queens businesses to network. Others, like our annual business expo at Citi Field raise money for the Chamber, helping us keep the lights on. 

What do you think the future holds for your sector as a result of the pandemic?

Small businesses have been extremely hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve had folks tell me 50% of Queens restaurants may never reopen. And we’ve already seen too many beloved mom-and-pop establishments in the borough close up shop. 

At the same time, I’m optimistic about the future--we live in the hardest-working county in America, and I have met too many tough, motivated, smart Queens business owners and workers to believe that this pandemic will keep us down for too long. There’s a tough road ahead, but if anyone can pull through, it’s the people of Queens.

Learn more about the Queens Chamber of Commerce at www.queenschamber.org